Robin Roberts on the Fight for Her Life: ‘I Felt Like I Was Dying’

Robin Roberts says that she is “lucky to be alive” and has been seen as a pillar of hope, strength and inspiration since she underwent a bone marrow transplant in September to treat the rare blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

But in a new interview, the “Good Morning America” co-host publicly discusses for the first time the terrible toll the procedure initially took on her body and her mind.

There was a point “where I felt like I was dying,” Roberts tells People magazine in the issue out Friday.

“I couldn’t eat or drink,” Roberts, 52, says. “I couldn’t even get out of bed.”

“I was in a coma-like state,” she continued, describing the times she was fading in and out of consciousness. “I truly felt I was slipping away … then I kept hearing my name.”

Five months later, “It’s an amazing feeling,” Roberts says of her recovery, adding that she’s feeling stronger every day.

Roberts is scheduled to officially return to her post at the “GMA” anchor desk on February 20. Her story will be featured on a special edition of “20/20″ on February 22.